City of New Orleans’ Youth Violence Prevention Plan
Supported by the National Forum on Youth Violence Prevention, the NOLA FOR LIFE PLAYbook: Promoting Life for all Youth is a strategic plan for action to prevent youth violence. Nested within the existing framework of NOLA FOR LIFE, Mayor Mitch Landrieu’s comprehensive murder reduction strategy, the PLAYbook’s aim is to improve youth safety by addressing risk and protective factors for youth violence.
The Problem
Youth violence is serious problem in New Orleans. In 2012, there were 193 murders, a rate more than ten times the national average. More than one-third of these murder victims were under the age of 25, including 17 victims who were under the age of 18.
The Solution
Addressing this issue requires a coordinated response that draws on the strengths of partners citywide. No one agency alone can solve this problem; when we unite our efforts, we amplify our impact. Therefore, the PLAYbook takes a collective impact approach to addressing youth violence. In addition, the PLAYbook emphasizes the tools of public health: a focus on prevention, data-driven strategies, collaboration, and a population-level scale for action.
The PLAYbook is the result of a strategic planning process led by the New Orleans Health Department together with a planning team of City and community representatives. To support the development of the plan, the planning team received extensive input form partners across the community. The PLAYbook presents a series of goals, objectives, and strategies that were considered to be the most important actions to prevent youth violence in New Orleans.
The PLAYbook
Vision: By 2020, 95% of youth will feel safe in their school and neighborhood.
The PLAYbook helps advance New Orleans toward that vision in three key ways: 1) Designating a structure for youth violence prevention; 2) Coordinating and integrating youth violence prevention activities toward shared priorities; and 3) Establishing benchmarks and fostering accountability. The goals, strategies, and objectives of the PLAYbook are organized into three main areas that correspond to prevention before violence, in the midst of violence, and after violence has already occurred:
UP FRONT: Prevention — Strategies everyone needs to be safe and thrive.
Goal: Stop violence from happening before it occurs.
IN THE THICK: Intervention & Enforcement — Strategies to reduce the impact of risk factors for youth violence.
Goal: Intervene at the first sign of risk and respond effectively when violence does occur.
AFTERMATH: Rehabilitation — Strategies to prevent the reoccurrence of violence.
Goal: Repair and restore our youth, families, and communities that have been affected by violence.
The next page contains a summary of the PLAYbook’s goals, strategies, and objectives. For more detailed information on the recommendations of the PLAYbook, see the “Goals, Objectives, Strategies” section beginning on page 22. More detailed information on the impact indicators outlined below is available in the “Indicators” section (page 71).
While implementation of this plan will be coordinated by the New Orleans Health Department, it is not meant to be implemented by the City alone. Partner organizations and individuals have a role to play by aligning their practices with the goals and objectives of the PLAYbook and by identifying new ways to execute the PLAYbook’s strategies.
The PLAYbook designates the Children and Youth Planning Board as an advisory group to ensure ongoing input from a diverse range of stakeholders and to coordinate with other community efforts to improve youth outcomes. We know what it takes to prevent youth violence. We have a game plan — NOLA FOR LIFE. Now we must execute the game plan by collectively running the right plays. By following the PLAYbook, we can improve youth safety.
Did You Know
Supported by the National Forum on Youth Violence Prevention, the NOLA FOR LIFE PLAYbook: Promoting Life for all Youth is a strategic plan for action to prevent youth violence. Nested within the existing framework of NOLA FOR LIFE, Mayor Mitch Landrieu’s comprehensive murder reduction strategy, the PLAYbook’s aim is to improve youth safety by addressing risk and protective factors for youth violence.
The Problem
Youth violence is serious problem in New Orleans. In 2012, there were 193 murders, a rate more than ten times the national average. More than one-third of these murder victims were under the age of 25, including 17 victims who were under the age of 18.
The Solution
Addressing this issue requires a coordinated response that draws on the strengths of partners citywide. No one agency alone can solve this problem; when we unite our efforts, we amplify our impact. Therefore, the PLAYbook takes a collective impact approach to addressing youth violence. In addition, the PLAYbook emphasizes the tools of public health: a focus on prevention, data-driven strategies, collaboration, and a population-level scale for action.
The PLAYbook is the result of a strategic planning process led by the New Orleans Health Department together with a planning team of City and community representatives. To support the development of the plan, the planning team received extensive input form partners across the community. The PLAYbook presents a series of goals, objectives, and strategies that were considered to be the most important actions to prevent youth violence in New Orleans.
The PLAYbook
Vision: By 2020, 95% of youth will feel safe in their school and neighborhood.
The PLAYbook helps advance New Orleans toward that vision in three key ways: 1) Designating a structure for youth violence prevention; 2) Coordinating and integrating youth violence prevention activities toward shared priorities; and 3) Establishing benchmarks and fostering accountability. The goals, strategies, and objectives of the PLAYbook are organized into three main areas that correspond to prevention before violence, in the midst of violence, and after violence has already occurred:
UP FRONT: Prevention — Strategies everyone needs to be safe and thrive.
Goal: Stop violence from happening before it occurs.
IN THE THICK: Intervention & Enforcement — Strategies to reduce the impact of risk factors for youth violence.
Goal: Intervene at the first sign of risk and respond effectively when violence does occur.
AFTERMATH: Rehabilitation — Strategies to prevent the reoccurrence of violence.
Goal: Repair and restore our youth, families, and communities that have been affected by violence.
The next page contains a summary of the PLAYbook’s goals, strategies, and objectives. For more detailed information on the recommendations of the PLAYbook, see the “Goals, Objectives, Strategies” section beginning on page 22. More detailed information on the impact indicators outlined below is available in the “Indicators” section (page 71).
While implementation of this plan will be coordinated by the New Orleans Health Department, it is not meant to be implemented by the City alone. Partner organizations and individuals have a role to play by aligning their practices with the goals and objectives of the PLAYbook and by identifying new ways to execute the PLAYbook’s strategies.
The PLAYbook designates the Children and Youth Planning Board as an advisory group to ensure ongoing input from a diverse range of stakeholders and to coordinate with other community efforts to improve youth outcomes. We know what it takes to prevent youth violence. We have a game plan — NOLA FOR LIFE. Now we must execute the game plan by collectively running the right plays. By following the PLAYbook, we can improve youth safety.